Pregame Habits Of Elite Athletes

Big occasions bring out the best in all of us. In the sports world, big games bring out the best in players, which leads to unforgettable moments that turn men into legends. But before any player even sets foot on the pitch, field or court, the battle has started and not being properly prepared can make or break anybody's game.

Being ready before any game requires just as much focus and attention as playing the game itself. On behalf of New Balance, we spoke with Manchester City stars Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri about the brand's new Furon and Visaro boots, and how both star players prep their minds and bodies for greatness before a ball is even kicked.

They Choose The Right Gear

New Balance

First things first, you need the proper gear. There’s no doubt that choosing what fits and feels right effects an athlete’s performance, and according to former France International star Samir Nasri, comfort is key — which is why he chooses the Visaro from New Balance.

“You have to be comfortable in your boots if you want to be able to perform on the pitch. The most important thing is the comfort. The rest of the things, they have an effect. Like if you're on a dry pitch and stuff like that you can fall, but with these shoes you can really feel when you pass the ball and what they did was really good...any progress they made they came to us first to talk about it and I can say I agree with everything they've done."

And while comfort and fit are just as important to Jesus Navas, he also recognizes that a good-looking boot with a fresh colorway makes a statement on the pitch, which is why he chooses the New Balance Furon.

“It’s good that it’s a nice boot to look at. The color is very important as well.”

They Prepare With Their Teammates

New Balance

When it comes to team sports, getting on the same page beforehand is important to the success of everyone.

"To be on my game, when we're doing warm ups with the team, we're doing a group session and when I get the ball and if I do my things right, this is the moment I know if I'm going to have a good game, or if I'm going to be into my game or not. When you're running up and down and doing all those exercises, it's not the kinds of thing that you do in a game, so while practicing with teammates and stuff is when you know if you're going to have a good game or not."

Navas agrees that getting in sync and focusing with the team is one of the most important things to do during the warm up period.

"I think it's just preparing quietly with the team, being totally focused with everyone, with all the guys in the dressing room, making sure we carry out our plans and our practice from training during the week and being totally aimed and focused on nothing else but winning the game."

They Recall Past Advice

New Balance

All great players have been shaped by great coaches, and they take what they’ve been taught and apply it before and during the game. For Navas, it was his former coach at Sevilla FC, Joaquín Caparrós, who told him to always “keep calm, carry on, do what you do, and don’t alter your success."

These words have stayed with him throughout his career, and the Spanish International always thinks about what Caparrós told him before kick-off.

They Eat The Proper Meals

New Balance

When it comes to what elite athletes eat before a training session or a match, the time of day makes all the difference in the world. For Nasri, training is early in the morning and consuming a heavy breakfast just doesn’t work for him. Instead, he says “a smoothie before training, and that's it”.

For meals before a game, he knows exactly what his body needs in order to function at 100%.

“Before a game, you have to have your carbs and protein. Some pastas, chicken, fish... just to give some fuel to your body because you know you're going to need it on the pitch."

They Get Into "The Zone"

New Balance

“The zone” is defined as “the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” Basically, it means that this is the place we go in order to be 100% focused on the task at hand.

For professional athletes this means being dedicated to winning, and no matter how big or small the occasion is, nothing can take Nasri out of his zone.

"Big games make me more relaxed. You've been dreaming for those kind of games your whole life, and now you're going to have to play one. Just enjoy it to the max and try to take as much pleasure as you can. Don't put yourself under pressure because otherwise you're going to have regrets and I don't want to live my life with regrets."

Jesus Navas says he’s so focused on the task at hand, that literally nothing gets him out of the zone.